Syrah (Ventura County, CA)

We're off to Ventura County, California today. Why? WE're going to taste some of the world's finest Syrah and while we are at it, if we're lucky, we're going to taste some of the other grapes here as well.

You've never heard of Ventura County wine? That's not a surprise. This is not an area exactly laden with wineries. In fact, where we are headed today, most of the vineyards are actually in Santa Barbara County and some are in Ventura County, mostly in a tiny little town called Oak View. The remainder are in the Santa Rita Hills slightly to the north. But, that doesn't matter. This is a very special trip, and sadly, it is 100% vicarious and always will be.

From Santa Barbara Airport, we head almost due east along "the 101" as they call it in California.Most of the ride is right along the bay coming off the Pacific Ocean. Just to our north, the Santa Ynez Mountains loom large.

To understand the wines we are tasting today, it's useful to introduce a new concept that we haven't previously on this blog -- hang time. It's exactly what it sounds like, the length of time that grapes hang on the vine before harvest. When the fall weather is cooler than typical for a particular grape, but still remains rain-free, the grapes can be allowed to hang on the vines longer. Because it is fairly cool, the grapes do not overripen or raisin (a verb here), but develop exceptionally full flavor. This is typical in Santa Rita Hills. On the other hand, the vineyards in Oak View are much warmer and producer a bigger, bolder style.

From the warmer vineyards, we get wines with just incredible aging ability. Rich and complex, they feature notes of tobacco, gravel, coffee, plum freshly bloomed rose petal, sweet red cherry, plum, graphite, smoke, and dark spice. Is that enough for you? I'm told that these wines may entice the entire palate perhaps more than any others in the world.

But, they have competition. And, the competition comes from the cooler vineyards. The Santa Rita Hills version of Syrah uses processes that most mortal winemakers simply could not fathom. Typically aged mostly in new French oak for more than 3 years, these wines bring forth everything imaginable from the terooir, the climate, and the oak. 

Expect an incredibly tannic wine (remember that means it will age), but with the tannins being quite rounded making it relatively approachable quite young. The first note that comes at your palate is the blueberry with lots of smoke, black pepper, granite, peppered salami, Chinese spices, crushed rock, and slightly damp forest floor covered with moss. I'm told that a sip of this wine is life-altering; sadly, I doubt I will ever know.

Drink these wines alone or pair them with anything, although clearly they need somewhat dark, perhaps sinewy meat if you are pairing. But, if you do find some, please invite me.

They produce more here and we could go on and on, but enough for now. We have to stay fresh for our travels to Spain tomorrow.